Israel's prime minister says self-immolation a tragedy

Israel's prime minister offered a protester who set himself alight his wishes for a speedy recovery, calling the incident a "personal tragedy".

Haifa resident Moshe Silman set himself on fire during a march for social justice on Tel Aviv's Kaplan streetPhoto: Rex Features

8:44AM BST 16 Jul 2012

Moshe Silman, who set himself ablaze at a social justice demonstration in the city of Tel Aviv on Saturday night, was said on Sunday to be fighting for his life after suffering extensive burns.

"I wish Moshe Silman a full recovery, this is a huge personal tragedy," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyah said in remarks published on his Facebook page.

In a letter he read out before setting himself on fire, Silman blamed Netanyahu and the Israeli establishment for "stealing" from him, saying they had "left him with nothing." Netanyahu's comments on Sunday made no reference to the accusations.

"I accuse the state of Israel, Netanyahu and (Finance Minister) Yuval Steinitz, the b-------, for the humiliation that the weakened citizens of Israel endure on a daily basis," the letter said.